Introduction: Is Your Faith Complete?
Introduction: Is Your Faith Complete?
Introduction: Is Your Faith Complete?
B. Faith is so much more than mental assent or acceptance that God exists or
personal acknowledgement that Jesus is Lord (James 2:19).
1. Belief in God’s existence is of course an important part of faith, but
saving faith is so much more!
a. Faith and believe are synonyms (Heb. 11:6). Notice how critical
faith is to pleasing God and how genuine faith expresses itself.
2. Faith or belief is in fact a work! (John 6:27-29)
a. Jesus referred to belief in Him as a work we must do and indeed
genuine, saving faith takes effort.
b. Faith is more than mere mental acceptance that God is real or
that Jesus is the Son of God. Faith takes effort on our part.
D. If you are lacking any of these three components, your faith is incomplete and
will not result in your eternal salvation. If this is the case, complete your faith!
2. Example: You know for a fact that your sins were forgiven and you
received the gift of the Holy Spirit when you were baptized into Christ
(Acts 2:38).
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C. Faith is based upon “substance” and “evidence” (Heb. 11:1, NKJV).
Example: Humans first landed on the moon by spacecraft on July 20, 1969 and six hours
later (July 21st) walked on the surface of the moon. You believe because of the evidence.
C. Faith is trusting in God to keep His word (e.g. Rom. 4:20-22, ESV).
1. To live a life of faith, you have to put your trust in God (Heb. 11:6).
a. You believe that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek
Him. You trust God with all your heart and therefore trust Him
with the salvation of your soul! (2 Tim. 1:12).
b. You know that God, “who cannot lie” (Tit 1:2) will fulfill all of
His promises. Faith is confidence in the trustworthiness of God!
D. Faith that trusts God will not doubt Him (e.g. Mat. 14:28-31).
1. The opposite of faith is doubt – “to be uncertain about something; to
believe that something is not true or is unlikely” (Webster).
2. Peter in this instance did not put His complete trust in Jesus when he
saw the strong wind and thus he became afraid and began to sink.
a. We also begin to “sink” in our lives when we do not put our trust
in God (We are consumed by fears, worries, trials, tribulations).
3. God is worthy of your trust. Do not doubt Him!
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III. Faith Works.
Example: It’s like telling someone you trust him/her to be a good driver, but then you are
unwilling to lend them your car. It’s like telling someone you trust them, but are
unwilling to let them watch over your children. It’s like saying: I trust you, but then you
are unwilling to share with them what your troubles are. Where’s the trust in that?
b. If you really believe in Jesus, you will show it! You will
demonstrate your trust in Him by obeying His commands for your
salvation (Luke 13:3; Mat. 10:32; Mark 16:16).
Note: If you are afraid of being immersed in water (phobia), put your trust in the Lord and
get baptized anyway! (He won’t let anything bad happen to you!).
3. If you truly believe that forgiveness and freedom from sin is found in
Jesus, then obey from the heart His gospel (trust Him) (Rom. 6:17-18).
B. Faith is not complete in the life of a Christian unless it is working through love
(Gal. 5:6).
1. To keep your faith alive, you must do your best to obey God’s word and
do the good works He commands! (James 2:14-26).
“As a result of the works, faith was perfected” (complete!)
Conclusion: In your life, are you truly walking by faith? (2 Cor. 5:5-9).
A. To walk by faith is a confident assurance of going to heaven that is based upon
evidence, the Scriptures, and the promise (“guarantee”) of God! (Not blind faith!)
1. “Not by sight” (Does not mean our faith is blind!); while away from the
Lord (v. 6) and we cannot see Him, we walk or conduct our lives by faith!
B. To walk by faith is your trust in God to fulfill all His promises to you.
C. To walk by faith is make it your aim in life to please God in all you do!
D. In preparation for the Judgment Day, make sure your faith is complete! (v. 10)